"I Won't Survive": Iranians Reel From Sanctions

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Trump abandoning the 2015 nuclear deal exacerbated a record drop in Iran's currency
revolution, but for the first time he is not sure he can survive.He means it literally: "My shelves are empty, my warehouses are empty and
soon I will have to close the doors
This has been my entire life -- I won't survive long after the doors close."Iran's economy had plenty of problems even before US President
Donald Trump decided in May to abandon the 2015 nuclear deal and reimpose "crippling" sanctions.But that move exacerbated a record drop in
Iran's currency, down 70 percent in the past year, and prompted an exodus of foreign firms.Anticipation of the return of the oil embargo --
due to kick in on Monday -- has already plunged the country into recession and will see the economy shrink by 3.6 percent next year, says
the International Monetary Fund.For Fekri, who has been bringing in industrial pumps and drills from Europe for 47 years, the uncertainty
means he has not imported anything for more than a year."Sales have dropped 90 percent compared with six months ago
The whole bazaar is suffering," he told news agency AFP.Almost all products in Iran -- from medicines to aircraft spares to plastic bottles
-- is tied into the global supply chain, so the currency collapse and renewed isolation threatens every corner of society.The government has
been forced to provide food baskets to around half Iran's households as inflation soars."Bullying"For the middle class, perhaps the biggest
blow is psychological, as the burst of hope that accompanied the nuclear deal in 2015 -- the promise of the country finally shedding its
pariah status -- has evaporated."No one knows what the Americans actually want
We did everything they wanted and it wasn't enough
It feels like bullying," said Sam Cordier, head of PGt Advertising, which represents foreign clients such as British Airways and Nestle in
Tehran.Washington says the sanctions are designed to curtail Iran's "destabilising" activity in the Middle East, but many see them as an
attempt to trigger a revolution."It's not fair for the Americans to incite violence
If this continues, all the professional businessmen with something to share through knowledge and investment will leave," said Cordier.He
was forced to sack six of his 30 staff and reduce salaries for the rest as, one by one, his foreign clients packed their bags."I was crying
every 10 minutes when I told them
These are the people who are being hurt
Many young, educated people are leaving the country
There's a massive brain-drain," he said."Burned generation"There is plenty of hatred towards the Trump administration, but a surprising
number of Iranians pin the blame on their own government for not better protecting them."Yes, America is doing bad things but they are
looking out for their interests
If our state had looked out for Iran's interests, we wouldn't have the situation we have now," said Erfan Yusufi, 30, whose hip new coffee
shop is struggling to cope with rising prices and falling demand.Iran's leaders face a tricky balancing act, remaining defiant in the face
of US pressure, while acknowledging the economic pain felt in the country."All of us understand people are suffering and under pressure,"
President Hassan Rouhani told parliament last weekend."We cannot tell our people that because of America's pressure, we cannot do anything
Iran's own central bank says food prices rose 46.5 percent in the year to September.For all the problems, there is little sign that Iranians
want another revolution, not least because a sizeable number are still fiercely supportive of the last one.Most others are fearful of
violent unrest, cowed by the security forces or uninterested in doing the bidding of a foreign power.There is instead a sad resignation
among many young people, who often refer to themselves as the "burned generation" for having been denied the chance to realise their
potential."I'm worried about the future," said Yusufi in his coffee shop
"Our generation starts each day not knowing what will become of us."(This story has not been edited by TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is
auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)